Oil & Water Do NOT Mix

It all started with mozzarella cheese balls. Than again, maybe it didn’t. I think it all started with God’s grace and mercy. I could / should have full body burns but I do not…. His protection was over arching.

So I was super excited about trying to make authentic Greek deep fried cheese balls for our class dinner. (I’m still ticked all my spices and breading burned up! Grrrr, I really worked on those!) I’m still not sure why the oil caught on fire but it did. As soon as I noticed the oil was on fire I tried to put the flames out by putting the cover back on the pot. The flames were too intense and the cover was propelled back off, so I reached behind the pot, shut the burner off and moved it away from the heat. The microwave is above our stovetop and was beginning to blacken so I tried to move the pot to the sink in order to better contain the flames. (Don’t worry; I wasn’t going to try to put it out with water!)

During all of this, the fire alarm is going off, and my shocked roommates are running over and trying to find out what’s going on. Does any one know where the fire extinguisher is?!?

While moving the flaming pot to the sink, I didn’t see that the faucet was dripping. One drop truly does cause an explosion. When I realized my left-hand was on fire, I threw the flaming pot with my right-hand back onto the stove. This caused the oil to splatter all over the floor/stove/microwave and toaster. WHOOOSH is what happened next as the oil and oxygen met and burned in a flash flame. I slipped on the oil, fell to the floor and tried to crawl out of the kitchen. I was wearing an ankle length dress (which I rarely do around the apt) and it caught most of the oil- protecting my legs and bare feet. I have a few very minor burns on my feet, but it could have been so much worse! I also had just removed my metal rings (one of which was worn on the finger that was burned the most severely.)

At this point, several things happened at once (1) My roommate, Lindsey came out of the laundry room (behind the kitchen) and slipped on the oil too. I’m so glad she did though as dropping to the floor took her out of harms way and the flames on the stove that she could have walked through.

And (2) through this I heard the sweetest sound of the night - the smashing of glass as my other roommate Kensi found the fire extinguisher outside our apt. and broke the glass to get it. She is a hero!

Again the Lord stepped in, because neither of us remembered how to work a fire extinguisher. I took it from her and my hands just acted on their own as the Lord and adrenalin took over. I sprayed several times before I was able to get the flames out.

It wasn’t until we stumbled coughing outside, that I really noticed my hand and fingers. It didn’t take long to decide to go to the ER – as I watched my hand swell and change color.

It was my first (and hopefully only) trip to the ER as a patient. I have 2nd and 3rd degree burns on three of my fingers. The biggest concern and prayer right now is my knuckles in regard to scarring. If it doesn’t heal right, it will prohibit mobility in my fingers later on. I went to a hand specialist today and got a splint to help reduce the swelling. I meet with him again next week once the swelling goes down. He’ll hopefully be able to help me start working on bending my knuckles again. (This is a pic of my melted/fried fingers in the ER before the Dr cut the skin away.)

He may be a specialist, but I also know that the greatest Surgeon of all times has been hearing your prayers! I should be in so much more pain than I am right now. Thanks you so much for your continued prayers for healing!

The Lord has surrounded me with wonderful friends who are driving me places, changing my bandages, washing my hair and giving us places to sleep and feeding us. I am blessed. My prayer is that He will get the glory through this!

(And this is the picture of my fingers today at the hand specialist.)